Quiet Joy by Jennifer Lee

Vocalist Jennifer Lee treats audiences to a sun-filled repertoire of American standards, Brazilian classics and three original compositions written by Lee on her latest offering, Quiet Joy. Lee tests her mettle as a singer, composer, guitarist and piano player on this CD, and makes it an album to remember. She is accompanied by musicians who know how to move with the curves of her voice and hold her up when her vocals take flight with Peter Sprague on guitar, David Udolf on piano, Bob Magnusson and Buca Necak on bass, Raul Ramirez on percussion, Duncan Moore on drums, Carter Dewberry on cello, and Tripp Sprague on harmonica and saxophone. Quiet Joy's program contains tunes that have Lee singing in English and Portuguese, which heightens their dreamy spires and relaxing ambiance.

Lee's original tune "Music Of Your Soul" is a zesty jaunt filled with frothy solos from Necak, Sprague and Udolf. She also composed the title track which is nostalgic of classic Brazilian jazz from the '60s. The song was inspired by Lee's new 7-string guitar and the heavenly rustic Mendocino County town of Elk, which has her vocals ascend and ride out the surfs of her band as they keep to a catchy dance rhythm with a Rio de Janeiro lure. The third track which she composed is "You Knew," a tune that has a fine tooling of twittering saxophones played by Tripp Sprague. Lee also indulges in her love of bossa nova with her renditions of Renato Motha's "Menina da Lua" and Roberto Menescal's "O Barquinho." Lee's treatment on tracks like "O Pato" gives its Latin-flavoring a touch of classic swing-jazz beauty. Her refurbishing of Gershwin's "S'Wonderful" has a delightful ringing, and her revival of Johnny Burke and Arthur Johnston's classic tune "Pennies From Heaven" has a soothing effect on the listener. her vocals resonate with love and cultivate a graceful swagger that expresses pure beauty.

Lee tells in a recent press release, "Positive music is what I want to put out there... music that's about beauty, joy, peace, love, and presence." This describes the music of Quiet Joy perfectly, particularly in her warm interpretation of Frank Churchill and Ned Washington's song for Disney's "Baby Mine." Jennifer Lee brings out the beauty of these songs and shares her love for them with her audience.